Page 67 of Low love Low fidelity

I went down to the lower level to let up the garage door so Dale and the guys could gain entrance to the studio portion of the house I’d had set up. Then I returned to the main level. And,shit, her phone and keys damn sure were inside the pocket of her jacket along with the skirt in the living room. I gathered it all in my arm and hand before shuffling back up the stairs, still feeling out of it. By the time I made it up to the bedroom, Lennox, gloriously naked, carried her shoes in her arm as she walked over to the sofa and picked up her bra. Her blouse was next. She held it in the air, questioning me.

Being an ass, I raised her ripped panties in the same fashion. Rolling her eyes, she fought a giggle. “I’ll be submitting an invoice for those.”

Without a word, I handed her the cell. As I lay her clothes on the couch, Lennox let out a hard shriek.

“I know it’s dark outside, but it’s almost nine o’clock!” Her face was wide as hell.

Damn. It is?

With her face into her phone as she tapped into it, Lennox moved to the middle of the room then stopped. “I don’t know what to say to Scott! He’s been texting and calling for two hours.”

I thought for a minute. “Tell ‘im you’ve been with some friends, having dinner after work.”

“How would that explain me missing all of his calls and texts?”

After a few seconds of seeing worry color her beautiful face, I recalled, “You workout some evenings after work. Tell him you left the phone in the locker.”

Quickly nodding, Lennox began typing away. “Wait!” I called out. Then I shook my head. “Scratch that. You don’t have gym clothes.”

Her eyes rolled up to the chandelier. “I have some in the car. I can throw those on.”

I snapped my fingers. “Good call.” I jiggled her keys. “I’ll go grab your clothes and follow you home.”

“Tobias!”

“What?”

“I don’t need a chaperone to drive home.”

“It’s late.”

“I live here. I’ll be fine.”

Taking a deep breath, I shook my head. “Nah. That don’t feel right to me.” I turned toward the ruffled bed top. “Especially after…” I shook my head. “Regardless of any of that: It’s late.”

“Tobias.”

My eyes shot up to her. “Yeah.”

“I’m driving home alone. You have to work tonight.”

Shit.

Dale. I couldn’t bail on him. We all knew he’d need time to get focused for this session.

I lifted my phone to make a call. “I can get Charlie to follow you.”

“Tobias! No!” there was a panic ringing in that cry.

I took a step closer to her. “Why are you acting like I’m a stranger? Like I’m a random ass nigga?” When she didn’t answer, just glared at me with those cognac eyes, I knew. “I’m not going to confront your husband. I told you I’d never interfere unless he puts his hands on you or threatens to—”

“I know!” she snapped.

“And you don’t have to be ashamed of what I may possibly see if I were to run across him.” Richardson had never been a franchise player, or a memorable figure in theLeaguefor that matter. Lucky for Lennox and his family, the media nor the bloggers had been interested in him enough to feature the nigga in a “where are they now” segment. So, his condition had managed to have been kept low, compared to a Delonte West. Even still, I’d heard through some channels he hadn’t been looking good. The nigga has been a full-on, rouge crackhead. “You don’t ever have to be ashamed of any part of your life with me. I’ll never judge you.”

When tears pooled in her eyes, pain cracked in my chest. I stepped back and took a deep breath. Lennox was not going to back down on this, I knew it. She may have had exotic beauty features, small and petite with a body any man would want to protect as much as fuck, but Lennox was no princess in the wild. She was purposeful, resilient, and from East Orange. The woman was Chino Brim from Amhurst Street’s daughter. She wouldn’t lay down as a victim for shit. And I had to respect her.

Lennox swallowed before requesting, “I’m going to jump into the shower to wash this scent off me. I’ll wait in the bathroom for those clothes.”

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